Catholic ping!
I stopped reading at “Bell also speculates....” for two reasons. 1) Prima Scritura and 2) The foolishness of God is greater than the wisdom of men.
It’s funny how we human beings always make the same arguments to God. “It’s not fair!” we say. “I decide what’s fair!” he says. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. I like His ways and His thoughts better.
I used to hear a Christian pop song called “God is God, and I am not.”
2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Rob Bell is an apostle of apostasy.
I heard it said recently that the problem with far too many American Christians is that they expect Christ to closely resemble the person they see in the mirror rather than the other way around.
Who appointed John Michael Talbot, founder of a Franciscan brotherhood, a spokesman for the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals? If one wants to know the position of the Catholic Church on this matter should one not seek the advice of the Vatican or of a US spokesperson authorized to speak on behalf of the Vatican? In 16 years of Catholic school education, I never once heard a priest, brother or nun ever say that non-Christians could not go to heaven.
Another false prophet preaching a false message... nothing really new. Just sad at those who are being led astray by this idiot.
I’ve read “Love Wins”, and I’m convinced that he’s teaching universalism, even if he denies it. He may like to dodge questions and write in an ambiguous way, but his logic is clear: he believes everyone will go to heaven.
See my my thorough review on Amazon for more information, and give it Helpful vote if it helped you understand the book better.
I’ve read “Love Wins”, and I’m convinced that he’s teaching universalism, even if he denies it. He may like to dodge questions and write in an ambiguous way, but his logic is clear: he believes everyone will go to heaven.
See my my thorough review on Amazon for more information, and give it Helpful vote if it helped you understand the book better. The review is by Fr. Charles Erlandson.
If that were true why would we be told to spread the Gospel to “all the world”? Wouldn’t it be cruel if they had never heard the Gospel and would have been saved but we went in and told them and they denied the truth of it? Why in the world would we be told to spread the gospel if they were going to be saved anyway?
Luke 16:19 - 31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
So Jesus says ain’t nobody repenting after they are dead. I’ll take Jesus’ word over Rob Bell’s every time.
I am familiar with this false teacher, sadly he is popular with some of my friends. Every time I hear of Rob Bell I think of this passage:
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
People like what they perceive to be the positive aspects of Christianity (God loves us, do unto others, etc.) but do not like what they think are negative doctrines (Hell, sin, etc.) so preachers like Rob Bell come along and promote universalism and the masses gobble it up since it fits their own beliefs on the afterlife. As Christians we should have our beliefs fit what the Bible teaches, not twist the Bible to try to make it say what we believe.
silly me. I thought that the "temporary" hell was called purgatory, and that one could not repent after death, but you could repent up to the moment of death. Those who sin from weakness of the body or mind will find more mercy than the arrogant...indeed, the main ones who Christ warned of deserving hell were clergy who misused their offices...
Either way, I doubt any Catholics would worry about a non catholic preacher who decides two thousand years after the fact that Jesus was wrong.
God is just and merciful. He is the definition of both, and we in our present condition are in no position to judge the merits of either.
Judge not lest ye be judged.
I thinks it’s best left to God.